For Potential Employment
by tatantyler
Summary: A few lines of input was all it took to change the story. No one noticed until it was too late. "Pre-initalizing SAO world files, please wait...finished loading world: 'BlackMesa' "
1. Observation Terminated

– _For Potential Employment_ –

A few lines of input. That's all it took to change the story.

* * *

_game-server: sudo rm -rf /mnt/sao/world_

_game-server: sudo cp /mnt/usb /mnt/sao/world  
_

_game-server: sudo sh /mnt/sao/world/load_files  
_

_Pre-initalizing SAO world files, please wait..._

_…_

_Finished loading world: "BlackMesa"_

* * *

No one knew before it was too late.

* * *

_Subject: Akihiko Kayaba_

_Role: System Architect / Creator_

_Observation terminated._

_Postmortem: Subject posed a risk to current recruitment efforts._

* * *

Everything had been okay before Launch Day.

They'd checked all of their files, worked out all of the bugs, everything.

_"If so, then why," _Kayaba wonders, _"is this world nothing like I envisioned it?"_

When Kayaba logged in, to see the fruits of his labor, he expected to be sitting on an opulent throne, in a regal throne room.

Instead, he was seated in an office chair, inside of a dreary grey office.

A computer monitor and keyboard lie on a table in front of him. A few quick taps of the keyboard awaken the computer, revealing a familiar console screen.

The monitor reads: _"– SAO / Cardinal Access Panel –"_

_"Perhaps I logged into the wrong server?", _he thinks.

That line of thought is quickly dashed when he reads the online player count: _"Players Online: 9976"_

He begins to go over possible scenarios in his head, before a knock on the door interrupts him.

* * *

The door opens, revealing a man in a blue suit, carrying a briefcase. The man steps inside, stopping in front of the desk. At that moment, the world turns grey. The man pauses for a moment, before speaking.

_"Hello, Mr. Kayaba. I am here to..perform recruitment for my sponsors. I have been asked to find men and women with... exceptional skill and ability. As such, I have... borrowed, as it were, your world for my own purposes. I apologize for not informing you earlier, but my sponsors insisted that I not do so." _

_"They have also requested that I... ensure your non-interference in this test I have set up."_

_"So... goodbye, Mr. Kayaba. We thank you for your hard work."_

Then, Kayaba's vision goes black.

At the same time, in the real world, his heart stops as the Nerve Gear does its lethal work.


	2. Intro Sequencing

– _1: Intro Sequencing_ –

A voice. A shout. The usual beginning:

"Link, start!"

* * *

_Subject: Kazuto Kirigaya ("Kirito")_

_Role: Research Associate - Sector C, Area 3 - Test Labs (Anomalous Materials)_

_Location: Black Mesa Research Facility – Transit System_

_Beginning observation._

* * *

The first thing Kazuto saw after logging in was the inside of a metal tram.

However, the first thing he _expected _to see after logging in was the inside of a stone castle.

The second thing he saw was a man in a blue suit. The man looked to be in his fifties, with graying, receding hair and blue eyes. He held a briefcase in one hand, and straightened his tie with the other.

The world goes gray, and the man starts to speak in an odd, stilted voice.

_"Hello, Mr. Kirigaya. Do not be alarmed, I am simply here to deliver a message from my... sponsors."_

_"You see, they have been looking to.. recruit, as it were, some new employees. They wish for me to find.. suitable candidates for... employment. As such, I have made... major modifications to this game. Moreover, you will find that.. it is no longer a game. Listen carefully: you will not want to lose."_

Videos and images begin to play in his mind: News reporters on TV, in hospitals. Web sites with the headlines blazed across the top.

They all carried dire news, of death, of shock, and of tragedies.

_"You may wonder about your role in this test... it has already been preselected."_

_"Time will tell whether you pass this... test. I hope to see you again."_

Color returns to the world, and the man fades away, as if he were a hologram.

* * *

_Subject: Ryotaro Tsuboi ("Klein")_

_Role: Security Guard – Area 14 - Munitions Development and Manufacturing_

_Location: Black Mesa Research Facility – Area 14, Main Lobby_

_Beginning observation._

* * *

The inside of a metallic grey tram, moving through a concrete-lined tunnel.

This is what Klein saw, but did not expect to see, when he logged into Sword Art Online.

"What? Where am I? Is this some kind of tutorial or intro sequence or something?"

Then, a man in a blue suit appeared in front of him.

The world turned grey, and the man began to speak...

* * *

After color returned to the world and the man disappeared, the intercom cackled to life:

_"Hello, and welcome to the Black Mesa Transit System. This system is provided for the security and convenience of Black Mesa personnel. The time is: 7:58 AM. Current topside temperature is: ninety degrees, with an estimated high of: one hundred and five degrees."_

_"The Black Mesa compound is maintained at a pleasant sixty-eight degrees at all times."_

"Black Mesa? Is that some sort of research company? Where am I, anyways? Underground?"

_"This high-security train is inbound from: Area 1 – Topside Dormitories and Entrance, to Area 14 - Munitions Development and Manufacturing."_

Klein looked out the windows of the tram, trying to get a sense of the facility's purpose.

What he saw told him plenty:

_Missiles on flat platforms on the rails, painted orange and white._

_Pools of glowing green toxic waste below the tram._

_Men and women in white lab coats, some apparently confused and other simply walking around as if they knew what they were doing._

_Enormous robots performing various tasks in the aforementioned pools of waste._

"Okay, I'm in some sort of underground lab. Cool. Who am I supposed to be, anyways?"

Klein looked down, and inspected his appearance. He was clad in a white shirt, with blue pants. The shirt had a small logo near the breast pocket, and the words _"Black Mesa"_ opposite it.

The train screeched to a halt next to a platform. A metal door was built into the wall.

He stepped out of the tram, and watched the tram speed away.

A voice spoke from behind the door: "Oh, you've arrived. Hang on, this door's stuck..."

A few moments later, the door opened, revealing a hallway with another door at the end. A man with a black bulletproof vest and blue helmet stood behind it. Klein stepped through the door, and the two began to walk down the hall.

"We've been having problems with all of the equipment this morning. Server crashes, malfunctioning doors, power outages, the works. Kinda makes you wonder where Maintenance is, right?"

"Anyway, I know this isn't your job, but after you get suited up, the boss wants you to head down to this one elevator that's malfunctioning."

_"Wait, suited up? Do I get one of those vests too?", _Klein thought.

They walked through the hall, past the door, into what appeared to be a "hub", with a large circular table and several halls leading from it. Klein chose a hall at random and began to walk down it. A few moments later, he found himself in a room lined with lockers. One in particular caught his eye. It was marked with his last name.

Walking up to it and opening it, he saw a black vest and a few miscellaneous items (a photo, a certificate, etc.). He quickly slipped the vest on and walked out of the room.

* * *

_Subject: Asuna Yuuki ("Asuna")_

_Role: US Marine (Hazardous Environment Combat Unit) – Corporal Rank_

_Location: US Marine Training Facility_

_Beginning observation._

* * *

The first thing Asuna heard after logging in was the sound of a trumpet.

She quickly opened her eyes, and took in her surroundings.

She was standing in a room, next to a bed with a chest at its foot.

Several other people were standing in the room with her, looking just as confused as she thought she looked right now.

A small walkway was raised above ground level, next to the far wall.

A man with a wide-brimmed hat walked into the room, on the walkway, yelling as he did so.

"Listen up! I am drill instructor Sharp, and I am here to make you an HECU Marine! Follow my instructions carefully, and by the end of the day I'll have you eating danger and crapping victory!"

"Now follow me into the armory!"

They all filed out behind the man, walking out of the room and into a smaller room.

This room was lined with greenish vests and helmets, each one with a label above it reading "P.C.V".

"On the wall below me you will see a PCV! This is a Powered Combat Vest! Use it correctly, and I guarantee it will save your life! It can be charged with battery power, and it can interface with commercial, military, and HEV suit charging stations!"

The troops (well, that's what Asuna assumed they were supposed to be) stood in front of the vests, confused.

This was _not _what they had expected when they bought Sword Art Online.

_"__What are you waiting for?! Put on that PCV and get it fully charged!"_, the instructor yelled.

This spurred them into action, and Asuna took one of the PCVs on the wall and slipped it on, along with the helmet.

Text readouts and messages appeared towards the left side of her vision.

* * *

_INIT: PCV (Build 1313)_

_Starting base Linux system..._

_…_

_…_

_...started._

_Registering PCV hardware..._

_Anatomical checksums:_

_Checksum #1: 0xF1A5D52CD2BA_

_Checksum #2: 0x1243CA62FED7_

_Checksums matched to: A. Yuuki_

_Calibrating armor..._

_PCV systems ready._

* * *

Two small icons appeared in the corner of her vision, one with a plus sign with a "100" next to it, and another with the universal "electricity" symbol with a "0" next to it.

Turning around, Asuna could see several pieces of equipment by the back wall. There were several large boxes marked as "PCV Recharge Units", as well as several other units mounted to the wall, also marked as "Recharge Units". Several were orange and marked for use with "HEV Suits" instead of the PCVs they were to use.

Once they had all put on and charged their vests, they were led down another hall, into another, larger room.

"Your PCV will keep you alive! Stand against the back wall and this will be demonstrated for you!"

The wall the instructor pointed to was covered in scorch marks and blood.

Hesitantly, they all stood with their backs to the wall, at which point a group of men with shotguns walked into the room and shot each of them in the torso.

"As you can see, _you are not dead_."

_"Ow, dammit! That hurt!", _Asuna thought, grimacing due to the pain.

"Your PCV absorbed the damage at the cost of some of its power! Keep your PCV charged and your chances of survival in the field will be very high! Now move to the next area!"

Once they all moved down the hall into yet another room, the instructor spoke again.

"This next part is my favorite! It will demonstrate how to use your night vision and show you the many hazards you will face in the field, like fire, electricity, and enemy weaponry!"

"When the lights go out, the door on the far side of this room will open! Ready... go!"

The lights turned off, plunging the room into darkness. A soft hissing sound could be heard from the far wall of the room. The trainees all turned on their night-vision and ran forward into the training course.


End file.
